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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — to come down
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — a break
  5. chip — for betting
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. club — for dancing
  9. land — a country
  10. scale — in music
  11. hand — help
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rest — what's left
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hand — in cards
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. land — ground
  23. pit — a hole
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com